Selfsufficientish.com

Esther.R wrote:

Odsox wrote:So that's it ... I give up.

Mind you it just fed my chicken obsession - last year I had 4.....now I have 12

You're right ... my insistence that I would have no more chicken lasted overnight. The next morning I was given 3 sets of garden furniture for free. Well and truly 'shop soiled' but I have been able to make a VERY substantial ark out of 2 teak table tops.
The largest gaps are about 3/4" between the slats of the table top that I'm using as a base, the walls and roof have no gaps, although I shall have to drill some ventilation holes near the top of the apex.
The run section will be clad in 3/4" wire netting when I get some tomorrow.

Just got back from market today with 3 replacement pullets.
At the moment they are languishing in the corner of my garage surrounded by plastic fence mesh watching me work and advising me on what needs doing next.

Glad to see I am not alone in my obsession In fact I just did a mental headcount after posting that and realised with my two new serama bantams I now have 14 chickens And that is not including the 4 adult quail and 6 chicks.......

Can't you catch the b***s and turn them into a coat?

They are really nasty creatures and I would have no qualms at all about turning them into coats.

My first encounter with a mink was several years ago when one got hold of my last remaining duck. It had sunk it's teeth into the ducks neck and was trying to drown it in a small pond. The only weapon I had to hand was a pitchfork and I managed to get them both onto dry land where I speared the mink through it's body and pinned it to the ground. It didn't kill it but only made it understandably annoyed. I went to get my air rifle and when I returned less than a minute later it had gone. The pitchfork was still firmly stuck in the ground, so it must have torn it's way to freedom.
The duck died.

Slightly off topic I know - I completely understand some peoples need to demonstrate against animal cruelty however, I wish they'd educate themselves about the risks to other animals before releasing non-native species into wild. They might then realise that it's not the most sensible thing to do...and look how many other animals have suffered as a result.

Jobi1canobi wrote:Slightly off topic I know - I completely understand some peoples need to demonstrate against animal cruelty however, I wish they'd educate themselves about the risks to other animals before releasing non-native species into wild. They might then realise that it's not the most sensible thing to do...and look how many other animals have suffered as a result.

You are right - this is a self imposed problem (self imposed by mankind).